Doma / Home
In search of the Carinthian Slovenes
The exhibition shows portraits of people whose Slovene language is an integral part of Carinthia. To "bring them in front of the curtain" is the aim of this juxtaposition of art photography by Karlheinz Fessl with an abundance of oil paintings, woodcuts and drawings by Werner Berg, many shown here for the first time. Presented in multimedia, the many individual representations of people - connected by region, history and language - present a multifaceted overall picture. This exhibition thus becomes the logical continuation of the immensely successful presentation “Manfred Deix meets Werner Berg”.
Large-scale facade designs extend the exhibition into the town centre.
The museum’s sculpture garden shows "Language Pictures" by Werner Hofmeister, who has explored the interrelationship of image and text for years. Letters, sounds, exclamations, symbols are converted into images: as stamps, word lines or as “word wagons”, in iron. In his new installation “Bilingual”, created especially for the museum, his elementary pictograms accentuate the headscarf of Werner Berg's “Mädchen”.
Karlheinz Fessl (* 1958): "I am of the opinion that for a photographer, here in Carinthia, who takes his job seriously, there are unwritten assignments that have to be done: That is why I began to take portraits of and interview people in 2013. I set out in the Jaun-, Rosen- and Gailtal valleys, but also went to Klagenfurt, Graz and Vienna, to the places where the most Carinthian Slovenes live. Conversations, photographs and videos were created. The “doma / daheim” project stems from journalistic and artistic curiosity and the conviction that final barriers can be brought down if one listens to, reads about and observes real-life stories and destinies.
Werner Berg (1904-1981): Many people have been impressed by the underlying essence of Slovene expression in my paintings. I myself am fascinated by the mysterious way in which the soul of this curious border people is expressed in my work – at what is perhaps an extremely historical moment. It is quite natural that I would be committed to those who represent the content of my work. For me, the visible expression of these people is the simple person, the peasant woman in a headscarf at a church service, the boy bowling, or the worker waiting at the train station in the early morning.
Opening hours
01. May – 31. October 2021
Tue-Sun: 10am - 18pm
